Matthew 9:35-39 – The Most Precious Harvest – Bible study

Matthew 9:35-39 Souls-The Worlds Most Precious Harvest You will notice that Jesus compares the work of sharing the gospel to that of working a harvest. That is common in the Scriptures. Let me give you a few examples. Ps 126:5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. Lets consider that thought in several ways. I. Why is soul winning compared to a harvest? A. Because winning souls is essential. 1. A nation must have farmers. a. Without farmers, a nation will starve. b. One of the things that bothers me is the souths lack of agriculture today. (1) When I was a boy, you could not travel the roads of Alabama without seeing cotton, corn, soybean, and other crops growing along the highway. (2) Today, except for a few small gardens, Alabama doesnt seem to grow anything. (3) That is a shame. (4) The South could grow enough corn to produce ethanol and help free America of foreign oilif we wanted to. (5) The South could grow enough food to feed the worldif we wanted to. (6) Sadly, in an attempt to manipulate food prices, our own government tells us not to. (7) Instead, if I read the charts correctly, the US imported over 8 1/2 billion metric tons of grains in 2009. http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/foodimports/Data/Grains.xls c. It seems to me that the US is not just oil-dependent, but we have also made ourselves food-dependent on other nations and that is a dangerous situation to be in. (I can do without gasoline a lot longer than I can do without food.) 2. Just as agriculture is essential to our physical existence, so soul winning is essential to our spiritual existence. a. We understand that no one can have a relationship with God that is be forgiven, have fellowship with Him, go to heaven when we die, or anything elsewithout salvation. (1) This is a most important truth. (2) No body goes to heaven without Jesus. (3) Every soul on this planet is absolutely dependent upon someone to tell them who Jesus is. b. Do we understand that the existence of Christianity as we have known it in America depends on us winning others to Jesus. (1) We know that this country was founded on the premise of religious liberty. (2) We also understand, although nothing is perfect, that America has been the one place in the world that Christians could assemble and worship in freedom. (3) Have we ever asked ourselves why? (a) It was not just because the law said we could. The law still says we can but our Christian freedoms are rapidly being diminished. (b) It was not because of our rich Christian heritage. We still have it. (4) The reason why was because there were so many Christians who lived here. (a) We had a Christian majority. (b) There were enough Christians to go to the polls and vote in people who would do right. (c) Now that we have become a pluralistic religious society, we simply dont have the people needed to direct this country in the paths of righteousness. (5) What do we need? If we are to exist as free Christians in America, we need to reproduce! (a) We are not just talking about growing a local assembly. (b) The church does not get busy and win others to Christ, the church will soon be totally at the mercy of Muslim, Catholics, and other religious groups who will do their best to wipe us off the face of the earth. B. Because winning souls is hard work. 1. I have been a farmer but I know that it is hard work. a. I know that farming today is not what it was yester-year. b. I have seen the big air cooled tractors that have GPS and television. c. But even with modern conveniences, I would not think the work to be either easy or cheap. d. Even those who have small gardens speak of the hot, hard work of keeping a garden. 2. However, I know of no task that is more difficult than winning others to Christ. a. The task of soul winning is not hard in the common sense. (1) For the most part, learning a gospel presentation is not that complicated. (A simple presentation can be memorized in a few minutes.) (2) And it really isnt that hard to find lost people. (a) In the Bible belt, more people will profess Jesus as their Savior. (b) But even with the many shallow professions, it is not exceedingly difficult to find a lost person. b. I think the exhausting work of soul winning is investing your self into the lives of people who care less for their own soul than you do. (1) I have had doors slammed in my face. (2) I have had dogs put on me. (3) I have been told to get out of a house or off someones property. (4) But none of that wears on me as much as pouring love and concern into a soul and seeing that person walk away from Christ! C. Winning souls requires faithfulness and patience. 1. Farming is not an instant process. a. One plants the seeds, hoes the field, prays for rain, and waits. b. From the time the seed is planted to the time of the first harvest is months. c. Yet, the farmer understand this process. (1) He does not expect to see fruit the day he plants the seed. (2) He is faithful to sow the see and patient to wait on the harvest. 2. So the soul winner must be faithful and patient. a. Spiritual seed takes longer to mature than physical seed. b. Sometimes we see seed come to fruit that was planted when the convert was a child. c. Our job as a soul winner is to sow and water the seed. Gods job is to make a harvest of it. d. We must be faithful and patient. D. Winning souls requires love. 1. I notice that this text starts by saying that Jesus "was moved with compassion." \#Matt 9:36\ a. Compassion is not pity. b. Compassion is concern and care. In fact, it is concern and care enough to do something about it. 2. It is my belief that people who farm could be doing something else. a. They could take a factory job. b. They could have studied something different in school. c. However, they farm because they have a heart for the land and making things grow. d. You might "accidentally" end up working in factory or an office because that was the only job available, but I imagine that if your career is that of a farmer, you picked it. 3. So it is with soul winning. a. You wont just end up telling people about Jesus. You will do it because it is a love. b. By love, I dont necessarily mean that you will love the telling part. (Few people do.) (1) You will love Jesus. (a) Soul winners share Christ because they love to please Jesus. (b) Jesus was a soul winner and a missionary. (He left His native land to travel to a foreign culture to win them.) (c) Those who share the good news of Jesus do it because they love Him and want to carry on His work. (2) You will love people. (a) People who care for other people tell them about Jesus. (b) You cannot love people and let them go to hell. E. Winning souls requires God. 1. I have heard some say, "There are no atheists in fox holes." a. I am sure that at one time, there were no atheists farmers. b. Farmers know that farming is a risky business. You can loose everythinga whole years workin a few minutes. (1) flood (2) hail (3) A drought might take a little longer. (4) infestation c. Farmers usually know that they cannot get a good crop in on their own. They want Gods help. 2. So it is with the soul winner. a. Telling people about Jesus is a spiritual job which requires Gods help! Joh 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. b. No matter how good of a gospel presenter you are, no body gets saved unless God does the work. II. Why should we go through all of that? A. Because Jesus has already died for them. 1Tim 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1. How can we who have been so blessed not labor to get others into the kingdom? 2. Let you heart direct you in this thing! a. Start by telling those you love the most. b. Before long, you will see a desire to even see strangers know Jesus. B. Because hell is a miserable place. \#Luke 16:19-26\ 1. He was in torment. \#23-25\ 3 times 2. He had no mercy. \#24\ 3. He had no escape. \#26\ C. Because a soul winner is wise. Pro 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise. 1. A soul winner is wise because he is investing into the right commodity. a. A soul winner is investing into that which God loves. b. A soul winner is investing into eternity. c. A soul winner is investing into people. 2. A soul winner is wise because he will sharpen himself spiritually winning others to Jesus. 3. A soul winner is wise because God has promised to reward him. Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Matthew 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my names sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. D. Because if it were not for the burden and obedience of some other Christian, we would be the lost one! III. How can we win them? A. Door to door. To win communities of strangers B. Mouth to mouth. Co-workers, friends, family C. Hand to hand. Tracts D. Country to country. Missionary endeavor 1. This is what our Faith promise is all about. a. Our church is too small and, overall, the members income is too small to send and support a individual on a foreign field. b. However, working with other churches, all of us can do a little and accomplish a lot. 2. We must make giving to missions a serious matter of prayer. a. God must tell us what we are to give. b. Then God must provide what we give. c. Then we must be faithful to give what God provides. 3. We must be faithful to give the money once God funnels it to us. Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. How involved are you in the work of telling others about Jesus? This work is essential to lost souls, to your freedom as a Christian, and to your eternal rewards. If you are not involved, get involved. If you are doing something, ask yourself if you could do more.